Method and apparatus for determining the accuracy of targeted advertising

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting, by a processing system including a processor, a transmission of a signal that identifies an advertisement, transmitting, by the processing system, a first indication of having detected the signal, and transmitting, by the processing system, a second indication of a status of the processing system when the signal is detected. Other embodiments are disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/150,843, filed Oct. 3, 2018. All sections of the aforementionedapplication are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject disclosure relates to determining the accuracy of targetedadvertising.

BACKGROUND

In the context of targeted advertising, advertisers target specificgroups of users/people with specific advertisements. For example,knowing household demographics of users/people residing in a houseenables an advertiser (or network/service operator/provider) to selectadvertisements that will likely appeal to the users/people. In anexemplary scenario, it may be assumed that a man aged 45 years old, awoman aged 40 years old, and a child aged 8 years old reside in thehouse. If an advertiser is targeting the man, using conventionaltechniques it is unknown if the man is even located at home when anadvertisement of the advertiser is presented. Still further, even if theman is at/proximate the house, it is unknown if he likelyreceived/consumed the advertisement; for example, the man may have beenoutside working in the yard when the advertisement is presented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary, non-limitingembodiment of a communications network in accordance with variousaspects described herein.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limitingembodiment of a system functioning within the communication network ofFIG. 1 in accordance with various aspects described herein.

FIG. 2B depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in accordancewith various aspects described herein.

FIG. 2C depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in accordancewith various aspects described herein.

FIG. 2D depicts an illustrative embodiment of a headset in accordancewith various aspects described herein.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limitingembodiment of a virtualized communication network in accordance withvarious aspects described herein.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of acomputing environment in accordance with various aspects describedherein.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of amobile network platform in accordance with various aspects describedherein.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of acommunication device in accordance with various aspects describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for determining the accuracy of targeted advertising. Insome embodiments, a determination of the accuracy may include anindication of whether a particular user/person included in a candidatepool/group of users/people received the advertisement. Other embodimentsare described in the subject disclosure.

One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include detecting, by aprocessing system including a processor, a transmission of a signal thatidentifies an advertisement. The processing system may transmit a firstindication of having detected the signal. The processing system maytransmit a second indication of a status of the processing systemcoinciding with when the signal is detected. In some embodiments, theprocessing system is included in a user device. The user device mayinclude a wearable device, a phone, a tablet, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, a signal that is transmitted and/or received may beundetectable to a human and/or an animal (e.g., a pet). The signal mayinclude an audio code, a near field communication (NFC) signal, a radiofrequency (RF) signal, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, an indication of status may include an indicationof whether a device (e.g., a user device is worn), an indication ofwhether the device is unlocked, an indication of whether the device hasbeen locked for less than a threshold amount of time, an indication ofwhether the device has been locked for greater than the threshold amountof time, an indication of whether the device is placed in a do notdisturb mode, an indication of whether the device is moved a distancethat is greater than a second threshold, or a combination thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , a block diagram is shown illustrating anexample, non-limiting embodiment of a communications network 100 inaccordance with various aspects described herein. For example,communications network 100 can facilitate in whole or in part detecting,by a device, a transmission of a signal that identifies anadvertisement; transmitting, by the device, a first indication of havingdetected the signal; and transmitting, by the device, a secondindication that indicates a status of the device when the signal isdetected by the device. Communications network 100 can facilitate inwhole or in part transmitting, by a device, a signal that identifies anadvertisement; receiving, by the device, a first indication that thesignal is detected by a user device; and receiving, by the device, asecond indication of a status of the user device when the user devicedetects the signal.

A communications network 125 is presented for providing broadband access110 to a plurality of data terminals 114 via access terminal 112,wireless access 120 to a plurality of mobile devices 124 and vehicle 126via base station or access point 122, voice access 130 to a plurality oftelephony devices 134, via switching device 132 and/or media access 140to a plurality of audio/video display devices 144 via media terminal142. In addition, communication network 125 is coupled to one or morecontent sources 175 of audio, video, graphics, text and/or other media.While broadband access 110, wireless access 120, voice access 130 andmedia access 140 are shown separately, one or more of these forms ofaccess can be combined to provide multiple access services to a singleclient device (e.g., mobile devices 124 can receive media content viamedia terminal 142, data terminal 114 can be provided voice access viaswitching device 132, and so on).

The communications network 125 includes a plurality of network elements(NE) 150, 152, 154, 156, etc. for facilitating the broadband access 110,wireless access 120, voice access 130, media access 140 and/or thedistribution of content from content sources 175. The communicationsnetwork 125 can include a circuit switched or packet switched network, avoice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network, Internet protocol (IP)network, a cable network, a passive or active optical network, a 4G, 5G,or higher generation wireless access network, WIMAX network,UltraWideband network, personal area network or other wireless accessnetwork, a broadcast satellite network and/or other communicationsnetwork.

In various embodiments, the access terminal 112 can include a digitalsubscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), cable modem terminationsystem (CMTS), optical line terminal (OLT) and/or other access terminal.The data terminals 114 can include personal computers, laptop computers,netbook computers, tablets or other computing devices along with digitalsubscriber line (DSL) modems, data over coax service interfacespecification (DOCSIS) modems or other cable modems, a wireless modemsuch as a 4G, 5G, or higher generation modem, an optical modem and/orother access devices.

In various embodiments, the base station or access point 122 can includea 4G, 5G, or higher generation base station, an access point thatoperates via an 802.11 standard such as 802.11n, 802.11ac or otherwireless access terminal. The mobile devices 124 can include mobilephones, e-readers, tablets, phablets, wireless modems, and/or othermobile computing devices.

In various embodiments, the switching device 132 can include a privatebranch exchange or central office switch, a media services gateway, VoIPgateway or other gateway device and/or other switching device. Thetelephony devices 134 can include traditional telephones (with orwithout a terminal adapter), VoIP telephones and/or other telephonydevices.

In various embodiments, the media terminal 142 can include a cablehead-end or other TV head-end, a satellite receiver, gateway or othermedia terminal 142. The display devices 144 can include televisions withor without a set top box, personal computers and/or other displaydevices.

In various embodiments, the content sources 175 include broadcasttelevision and radio sources, video on demand platforms and streamingvideo and audio services platforms, one or more content data networks,data servers, web servers and other content servers, and/or othersources of media.

In various embodiments, the communications network 125 can includewired, optical and/or wireless links and the network elements 150, 152,154, 156, etc. can include service switching points, signal transferpoints, service control points, network gateways, media distributionhubs, servers, firewalls, routers, edge devices, switches and othernetwork nodes for routing and controlling communications traffic overwired, optical and wireless links as part of the Internet and otherpublic networks as well as one or more private networks, for managingsubscriber access, for billing and network management and for supportingother network functions.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limitingembodiment of a system 200 a functioning within the communicationnetwork of FIG. 1 in accordance with various aspects described herein.In some embodiments, the system 200 a may be included/present in abuilding, such as for example a house. In some embodiments, the system200 a may span one or more geographical locations (e.g., one or morebuildings).

The system 200 a may include a media processor 202 a. The mediaprocessor 202 a may include a set-top box.

The media processor 202 a may be communicatively coupled to apresentation device 206 a. The presentation device 206 a may be used topresent media/content that is obtained (e.g., received) by the mediaprocessor 202 a. In some embodiments, the media processor 202 a mayobtain programming content associated with one or more television shows,and the media processor 202 a may cause the presentation device 206 a topresent one or more of the television shows based on, e.g., a userselection. The presentation by the presentation device 206 a may includeone or more images, videos, audio tracks, or a combination thereof. Inthis respect, the presentation device 206 a may include one or morespeakers (e.g., speaker 206 a-1) for rendering audio and one or moredisplays (e.g., display 206 a-2) for rendering still-frame and/or movingimages.

In some embodiments, media/content that is obtained by the mediaprocessor 202 a may be supplemented with one or more tags (e.g.,metadata). The one or more tags may be provided by one or more systems,devices, or components, such as for example the media processor 202 a, anetwork provider equipment, a content source equipment, a third-partyequipment, or a combination thereof. A tag may identify an advertisementincluded in the media. The identification of the advertisement mayinclude an identification of a start time and an end time associatedwith the advertisement, a run-time/duration of the advertisement, asponsor of the advertisement, or a combination thereof.

The presentation device 206 a may supplement a presentation of theadvertisement with a transmission of one or more signals, where thetransmission of the one or more signals may be caused by the mediaprocessor 202 a. As an illustrative example, the speaker 206 a-1 maytransmit an audio code 220 a-1. As yet another example, the display 206a-2 may transmit/emit a pattern of light 220 a-2.

While shown separately in FIG. 2A, the transmissions 220 a-1 and 220 a-2may be included as part of a common signal transmission in someembodiments. In some embodiments, the media processor 202 a (as opposedto the presentation device 206 a) may transmit one or both of thesignals 220 a-1 and 220 a-2.

A human and/or an animal might not perceive the signals 220 a-1 and 220a-2. For example, one or more characteristics/parameters of the signals,such as for example power, wavelength, frequency, or a combinationthereof, may be selected so that the signals are undetectable to humansand/or animals. For example, audible frequencies for humans generallyrange from 20 Hz to 20 KHz; however, it is noted that the range offrequencies individuals hear is greatly influenced by environmentalfactors. Still further, the parameters of the signals may be selected soas to detect user devices that are proximate to the media processor 202a and/or the presentation device 206 a as described further below.

The signals 220 a-1 and 220 a-2 may be obtained (e.g., received) by oneor more user devices (e.g., user device 210 a) that are proximate themedia processor 202 a/presentation device 206 a. For example, the userdevice 210 a may include a microphone 210 a-1 that may be used to detectthe signal 220 a-1 and/or a camera 210 a-2 that may be used to detectthe signal 220 a-2.

Based on detecting the signal 220 a-1 and/or the signal 220 a-2, theuser device 210 a may transmit an indication (e.g., a first indication)230 a that signifies receipt of the signal(s). The indication 230 a maybe received by, e.g., the media processor 202 a. The indication 230 amay include an identification of the user device 210 a (e.g., a make,model, and serial number of the user device, an address [e.g., a MACaddress] of the user device, etc.) and/or an identification of a user ofthe user device 210 a (e.g., a username and/or password, a personalidentification number [PIN], an email address, a log-in handle [e.g., alog-in handle to a social media platform], etc.). The indication 230 amay include an identifier that uniquely distinguishes the advertisement(in order to distinguish the advertisement from, e.g., anotheradvertisement that may be presented in an adjacent/nextadvertising/advertisement timeslot).

The user device 210 a may transmit an indication (e.g., a secondindication) 240 a that conveys a status of the user device 210 acoinciding with when the signal 220 a-1 and/or the signal 220 a-2 isdetected by the user device 210 a. The indication 240 a may be receivedby, e.g., the media processor 202 a. Various examples of status that maybe conveyed via the indication 240 a are described further below.

While shown separately in FIG. 2A, in some embodiments the firstindication 230 a and the second indication 240 a may be included as partof a common signal/message.

The user device 210 a may include any type of device that may beassociated with one or more users. For example, and without limitation,the user device 210 a may include a wearable device (e.g., a watch, aheadset, etc.), a laptop, a desktop computer, a tablet, a mobile phone(e.g., a smartphone), etc.

As described above, the (second) indication 240 a may provide, e.g., themedia processor 202 a with status regarding the user device 210 a at thetime when the signal 220 a-1 and/or the signal 220 a-2 is/are detectedby the user device 210 a. Various examples of status include whether theuser device 210 a is worn, whether the user device 210 a is unlocked,whether the user device 210 a has been locked for less than a thresholdamount of time, whether the user device has been locked for greater thanthe threshold amount of time, whether the user device is placed in aparticular mode (e.g., a do not disturb mode), whether the user deviceis moved a distance that is greater than a threshold distance, or acombination thereof. Other types/indicators of status may be included insome embodiments.

In accordance with the aforementioned status, a scoring algorithm may beexecuted by, e.g., the media processor 202 a to score thelikelihood/probability that the advertisement was consumed/perceived bythe user of the user device 210 a. For example, if the status indicatesthat the user device 210 a is being worn, that may serve as a “verystrong” indicator that the advertisement was consumed by the user. Ifthe status indicates that the user device 210 is unlocked, that mayserve as a “strong” indicator that the advertisement was consumed by theuser. If the status indicates that the user device 210 islocked/timed-out for less than the threshold amount of time that mayserve as a “medium” indicator that the advertisement was consumed by theuser. If the status indicates that the user device 210 islocked/timed-out for greater than the threshold amount of time that mayserve as a “weak” indicator that the advertisement was consumed by theuser. If the status indicates that the user device 210 is in a do notdisturb mode (or the like) that may serve as a “very weak” indicatorthat the advertisement was consumed by the user.

The scoring algorithm described above is exemplary of a type of scoringalgorithm that may be used; modifications/adaptations may be made inaccordance with aspects of this disclosure. For example, a numericalscoring scale (1-10, 1-100, etc.) may be used to represent thelikelihood/probability that a user consumed an advertisement.Irrespective of the type of scoring algorithm that is used, the scoringalgorithm may be used to determine the likelihood/probability that anadvertisement is consumed by a user.

The signals/indications illustrated in FIG. 2A may be transmitted and/orreceived in accordance with one or more protocols, standards, formats,etc. In some embodiments, a given signal/indication may betransmitted/received wirelessly or via a wired connection. In someembodiments, a given signal/indication may be transmitted/received as anelectromagnetic wave; for example, the signal/indication may betransmitted/received as a surface wave that traverses a medium. Theelectromagnetic wave may be transmitted without requiring an electricalreturn path.

FIG. 2B depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method 200 b inaccordance with various aspects described herein. For the sake of easein description, the method 200 b is described below in conjunction withthe system 200 a of FIG. 2A. For example, the method 200 b may be atleast partially executed by the media processor 202 a. One skilled inthe art will appreciate, based on a review of this disclosure, that themethod 200 b may be adapted so as to be executed in conjunction withother systems, devices, and/or components.

In block 204 b, authorization to participate in the method 200 b may beobtained (e.g., received). The authorization may pertain to one or moreusers and/or one or more user devices. Block 204 b may be executed inorder to respect user privacy. In this respect, the media processor 202a might not collect data/statistics regarding user consumption of mediaunless authorized by a user.

Assuming that the user grants authorization in block 204 b, the method200 b may continue in block 208 b wherein media may be obtained andpresented. In some instances, the media may include a program with oneor more advertising/advertisement timeslots. The advertising timeslot(s)may be pre-designated and/or may be determined in real-time/on-the-fly,such as for example in connection with a presentation of a live event(e.g., a sporting event).

In block 212 b, an advertisement timeslot may be identified. Forexample, the timeslot 212 b may be identified on the basis of a tag(e.g., metadata) that may be applied/appended to the media.

In block 216 b, an advertisement to present during the timeslotidentified in block 212 b may be obtained. For example, as part of block216 b an advertisement may be selected. The advertisement may beselected based on the type/genre of a program, a userdemographic/profile, a log/history of media consumed by the user or userdevice, information regarding products or services purchased or browsedby a user/on a user device, etc.

In block 220 b, one or more signals (e.g., signal 220 a-1 and/or signal220 a-2 of FIG. 2A) may be transmitted during the advertisementtimeslot. In this respect, the signal(s) transmitted in block 220 b mayaccompany a presentation of the advertisement obtained as part of block216 b.

In block 224 b, one or more indications (e.g., indication 230 a and/orindication 240 a of FIG. 2A) may be obtained (e.g., received). As partof block 224 b, the obtained indication(s) may be provided (e.g.,transmitted) to, e.g., a server to enable the server to score the(likelihood/probability of) consumption of the advertisement across apool/group of users. In some embodiments, as part of block 224 b themedia processor 202 a (see FIG. 2A) may score the(likelihood/probability of) consumption of the advertisement by a userof the user device 210 a (see FIG. 2A) and provide (e.g., transmit) thescore to the server. Stated slightly differently, in some embodiments atleast a part of a scoring algorithm may be executed by the mediaprocessor 202 a.

At least part of the method 200 b may be executed repeatedly or in aniterative manner. For example, from block 224 b the execution of themethod 200 b may proceed to block 208 b to continue obtaining andpresenting media. Over time, the media processor 202 a (or any otherdevice) may obtain a log/history of advertisements that are likely ofinterest to a user. In this manner, better decisions can be maderegarding advertisements to target to the user as part of block 216 b.In this respect, aspects of the disclosure may incorporate artificialintelligence and/or machine learning.

FIG. 2C depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method 200 c inaccordance with various aspects described herein. For the sake of easein description, the method 200 c is described below in conjunction withthe system 200 a of FIG. 2A. For example, the method 200 c may be atleast partially executed by the user device 210 a. One skilled in theart will appreciate, based on a review of this disclosure, that themethod 200 c may be adapted so as to be executed in conjunction withother systems, devices, and/or components.

In block 204 c, authorization to participate in the method 200 c may beobtained (e.g., received). The authorization may pertain to one or moreusers and/or one or more user devices. Block 204 c may be executed inorder to respect user privacy. In this respect, the user device 210 amight not collect data/statistics regarding user consumption of mediaunless authorized by a user.

Assuming that the user grants authorization in block 204 c, the method200 c may continue in block 208 c wherein media may be consumed. In someembodiments, the media consumed in block 208 c may include a program, amovie, etc., with advertisements included in one or moreadvertising/advertisement timeslots. As part of block 208 c, the mediamay be presented on the user device 210 a (or another device, such asfor example the presentation device 206 a).

In block 212 c, one or more signals (e.g., signal 220 a-1 and/or signal220 a-2: see FIG. 2A) may be obtained (e.g., detected, received, etc.)that may identify an advertisement. For example, the signal(s) may beobtained during an advertising timeslot in which the advertisement isbeing presented.

In block 216 c, one or more indications (e.g., indication 230 a and/orindication 240 a: see FIG. 2A) may be transmitted. The indications mayprovide an indication that the advertisement was obtained by the userdevice and a status of the user and/or the user device coinciding withwhen the advertisement was obtained.

At least part of the method 200 c may be executed repeatedly or in aniterative manner. For example, from block 216 c the execution of themethod 200 c may proceed to block 208 c to continue obtaining andpresenting media. Over time, the user device 210 a (or any other device)may obtain a log/history of advertisements that are likely of interestto a user. In this manner, better decisions can be made regardingadvertisements to target to the user. In this respect, aspects of thedisclosure may incorporate artificial intelligence and/or machinelearning.

While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the respectiveprocesses are shown and described as a series of blocks in FIG. 2B andFIG. 2C, it is to be understood and appreciated that the claimed subjectmatter is not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks mayoccur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks fromwhat is depicted and described herein. Moreover, not all illustratedblocks may be required to implement the methods described herein.Furthermore, while the methods 200 b and 200 c are shown separately forthe sake of ease in description, aspects of the methods 200 b and 200 cmay be combined in some embodiments.

Aspects of the disclosure may be used to determine alikelihood/probability that an advertisement included in a mediapresentation has reached a target audience. In some embodiments, theadvertisement may be included as part of a television broadcast.

Aspects of the disclosure include a monitoring (e.g., an activemonitoring) of an environment that is proximate to a presentation ofmedia. The media may include an advertisement. In some embodiments,status associated with a user device may be analyzed to determine thelikelihood/probability of whether a user associated with the user deviceconsumed the media (e.g., the advertisement). A score may be assigned onthe basis of the analysis. A fee may be assessed against a sponsor ofthe advertisement based on the score. In some embodiments, scores may beaggregated across a pool/group of users in determining the fee.

Aspects of the disclosure may be used to increase a reliability/accuracyof reporting regarding targeted advertising. For example, anetwork/service operator/provider may be able to increase advertisementrates billed to sponsors by providing proof of delivery to a targetaudience with a greater degree of accuracy than was previouslyavailable.

Aspects of the disclosure may be used to assess/determine alikelihood/probability that an advertisement is consumed (e.g., listenedto, viewed, etc.) by a user/person. Aside from any userauthorization/permission that may be required, the determination may bemade in a passive manner, which is to say that the determination may bemade without the user having to actively participate. In this respect,the determination may be made without potentially having to annoy theuser. Stated slightly differently, apparatuses, systems, and methods ofthis disclosure may be executed without serving as a nuisance to a user.

In some embodiments, a user/person may be provided an incentive toparticipate in one or more aspects of this disclosure. For example, if auser consumes a particular, targeted advertisement the user may beprovided a coupon that may be used towards a product or servicereferenced in the advertisement.

Aspects of the disclosure may be directed to the Internet of Things(IoT). For example, various systems, components, and devices may connectto one another and exchange data over one or more networks. As a result,greater efficiency may be obtained in terms of an integration of thephysical world/objects into computer-based technology, resulting ineconomic benefits and reduced human exertions.

Aspects of the disclosure may be incorporated as part of a presentationof panoramic content, such as for example 360-degree videos. In at leastsome embodiments, a user device that may be used in the consumption ofpanoramic content may include a headset. For example, FIG. 2D is a blockdiagram illustrating a non-limiting embodiment of a headset 200 dfunctioning as a user device in accordance with various aspectsdescribed herein. The headset 200 d (which may correspond to the userdevice 210 a of FIG. 2A) may be used to present one or more objects inaccordance with cross-reality or XR technology. For example, an objectthat may be presented as part of an advertisement may include a virtualobject.

Panoramic content may be recorded by omnidirectional cameras or cameraarray systems, and then “wrapped” onto at least a portion of athree-dimensional (3D) sphere (e.g., 3D sphere 202 d), with the camerasat or proximate a center 204 d of the sphere. When watching a panoramicvideo, a user/viewer at the spherical center 204 d can freely controlher viewing direction, so each playback may create a unique viewingexperience. The control of viewing directions may be achieved through,e.g., head movement when using a head-mounted device, hand/fingermovement when using a mobile/portable communication device (e.g., aphone or a tablet), a mouse click when using a laptop or desktopcomputer, or use of a remote control or trackball when using a displaydevice such as a television. Other techniques, such as for examplegesture recognition, may be used. One or more combinations of thecontrols described above may be used.

As shown in FIG. 2D, a headset 200 d can be used to adjust a viewingorientation by changing the pitch, yaw, and/or roll, which correspond tomovement (e.g., rotation) along the super-imposed X, Y, and Z axes,respectively. The headset 200 d may support operations in accordancewith six degrees/dimensions of freedom. For example, the X, Y, and Zaxes collectively represent three dimensions of freedom, and movementalong any one of the axes (e.g., in a plus or minus direction)represents another degree/dimension of freedom.

Panoramic video players may compute and display the viewing area basedon the viewing orientation/direction and a field of view (FoV). The FoVdefines the extent of an observable area 208 d, which may be a fixed ordynamic parameter of the headset 200 d. In an illustrative embodiment,the observable area 208 d may be 110° horizontally (+/−10%) and 90°vertically (+/−10%). Other values of the observable area 208 d may beused in some embodiments. In some embodiments, a specification of aviewing orientation and/or a FoV may be included as part of anindication that may be transmitted by the user device/headset 200 d;see, e.g., indications 230 a and 240 a of FIG. 2A.

In this respect, panoramic content/media may allow a network/serviceoperator/provider to present multiple advertisements simultaneously in agiven advertisement timeslot. For example, a first advertisement may bepresented at a first viewing angle/orientation and a secondadvertisement may be presented at a second viewing angle/orientationdifferent from the first viewing angle/orientation. The specification ofthe viewing orientation and/or FoV in the indication as described abovemay assist in determining which of the two advertisements a user(likely) consumed.

Referring now to FIG. 3 , a block diagram 300 is shown illustrating anexample, non-limiting embodiment of a virtualized communication networkin accordance with various aspects described herein. In particular avirtualized communication network is presented that can be used toimplement some or all of the subsystems and functions of communicationnetwork 100, the subsystems and functions of system 200 a, methods 200 band 200 c, and user device 200 d presented in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A-2D.For example, virtualized communication network 300 can facilitate inwhole or in part detecting a transmission of a signal that identifies anadvertisement; transmitting a first indication of having detected thesignal; and transmitting a second indication that indicates a status ofthe device coinciding with when the signal is detected by the device.Virtualized communication network 300 can facilitate in whole or in parttransmitting a signal that identifies an advertisement; receiving afirst indication that the signal is detected by a user device; andreceiving a second indication of a status of the user device coincidingwith when the user device detects the signal.

In particular, a cloud networking architecture is shown that leveragescloud technologies and supports rapid innovation and scalability via atransport layer 350, a virtualized network function cloud 325 and/or oneor more cloud computing environments 375. In various embodiments, thiscloud networking architecture is an open architecture that leveragesapplication programming interfaces (APIs); reduces complexity fromservices and operations; supports more nimble business models; andrapidly and seamlessly scales to meet evolving customer requirementsincluding traffic growth, diversity of traffic types, and diversity ofperformance and reliability expectations.

In contrast to traditional network elements—which are typicallyintegrated to perform a single function, the virtualized communicationnetwork employs virtual network elements (VNEs) 330, 332, 334, etc. thatperform some or all of the functions of network elements 150, 152, 154,156, etc. For example, the network architecture can provide a substrateof networking capability, often called Network Function VirtualizationInfrastructure (NFVI) or simply infrastructure that is capable of beingdirected with software and Software Defined Networking (SDN) protocolsto perform a broad variety of network functions and services. Thisinfrastructure can include several types of substrates. The most typicaltype of substrate being servers that support Network FunctionVirtualization (NFV), followed by packet forwarding capabilities basedon generic computing resources, with specialized network technologiesbrought to bear when general purpose processors or general purposeintegrated circuit devices offered by merchants (referred to herein asmerchant silicon) are not appropriate. In this case, communicationservices can be implemented as cloud-centric workloads.

As an example, a traditional network element 150 (shown in FIG. 1 ),such as an edge router can be implemented via a VNE 330 composed of NFVsoftware modules, merchant silicon, and associated controllers. Thesoftware can be written so that increasing workload consumes incrementalresources from a common resource pool, and moreover so that it'selastic: so the resources are only consumed when needed. In a similarfashion, other network elements such as other routers, switches, edgecaches, and middle-boxes are instantiated from the common resource pool.Such sharing of infrastructure across a broad set of uses makes planningand growing infrastructure easier to manage.

In an embodiment, the transport layer 350 includes fiber, cable, wiredand/or wireless transport elements, network elements and interfaces toprovide broadband access 110, wireless access 120, voice access 130,media access 140 and/or access to content sources 175 for distributionof content to any or all of the access technologies. In particular, insome cases a network element needs to be positioned at a specific place,and this allows for less sharing of common infrastructure. Other times,the network elements have specific physical layer adapters that cannotbe abstracted or virtualized, and might require special DSP code andanalog front-ends (AFEs) that do not lend themselves to implementationas VNEs 330, 332 or 334. These network elements can be included intransport layer 350.

The virtualized network function cloud 325 interfaces with the transportlayer 350 to provide the VNEs 330, 332, 334, etc. to provide specificNFVs. In particular, the virtualized network function cloud 325leverages cloud operations, applications, and architectures to supportnetworking workloads. The virtualized network elements 330, 332 and 334can employ network function software that provides either a one-for-onemapping of traditional network element function or alternately somecombination of network functions designed for cloud computing. Forexample, VNEs 330, 332 and 334 can include route reflectors, domain namesystem (DNS) servers, and dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)servers, system architecture evolution (SAE) and/or mobility managemententity (MME) gateways, broadband network gateways, IP edge routers forIP-VPN, Ethernet and other services, load balancers, distributers andother network elements. Because these elements don't typically need toforward large amounts of traffic, their workload can be distributedacross a number of servers—each of which adds a portion of thecapability, and overall which creates an elastic function with higheravailability than its former monolithic version. These virtual networkelements 330, 332, 334, etc. can be instantiated and managed using anorchestration approach similar to those used in cloud compute services.

The cloud computing environments 375 can interface with the virtualizednetwork function cloud 325 via APIs that expose functional capabilitiesof the VNEs 330, 332, 334, etc. to provide the flexible and expandedcapabilities to the virtualized network function cloud 325. Inparticular, network workloads may have applications distributed acrossthe virtualized network function cloud 325 and cloud computingenvironment 375 and in the commercial cloud, or might simply orchestrateworkloads supported entirely in NFV infrastructure from these thirdparty locations.

Turning now to FIG. 4 , there is illustrated a block diagram of acomputing environment in accordance with various aspects describedherein. In order to provide additional context for various embodimentsof the embodiments described herein, FIG. 4 and the following discussionare intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitablecomputing environment 400 in which the various embodiments of thesubject disclosure can be implemented. In particular, computingenvironment 400 can be used in the implementation of network elements150, 152, 154, 156, access terminal 112, base station or access point122, switching device 132, media terminal 142, and/or VNEs 330, 332,334, etc. Each of these devices can be implemented viacomputer-executable instructions that can run on one or more computers,and/or in combination with other program modules and/or as a combinationof hardware and software. For example, computing environment 400 canfacilitate in whole or in part detecting a transmission of a signal thatidentifies an advertisement; transmitting a first indication of havingdetected the signal; and transmitting a second indication that indicatesa status of the device coinciding with when the signal is detected bythe device. Computing environment 400 can facilitate in whole or in parttransmitting a signal that identifies an advertisement; receiving afirst indication that the signal is detected by a user device; andreceiving a second indication of a status of the user device when theuser device detects the signal.

Generally, program modules comprise routines, programs, components, datastructures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particularabstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the inventive methods can be practiced with other computer systemconfigurations, comprising single-processor or multiprocessor computersystems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, as well as personalcomputers, hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based orprogrammable consumer electronics, and the like, each of which can beoperatively coupled to one or more associated devices.

As used herein, a processing circuit includes one or more processors aswell as other application specific circuits such as an applicationspecific integrated circuit, digital logic circuit, state machine,programmable gate array or other circuit that processes input signals ordata and that produces output signals or data in response thereto. Itshould be noted that while any functions and features described hereinin association with the operation of a processor could likewise beperformed by a processing circuit.

The illustrated embodiments of the embodiments herein can be alsopracticed in distributed computing environments where certain tasks areperformed by remote processing devices that are linked through acommunications network. In a distributed computing environment, programmodules can be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

Computing devices typically comprise a variety of media, which cancomprise computer-readable storage media and/or communications media,which two terms are used herein differently from one another as follows.Computer-readable storage media can be any available storage media thatcan be accessed by the computer and comprises both volatile andnonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example,and not limitation, computer-readable storage media can be implementedin connection with any method or technology for storage of informationsuch as computer-readable instructions, program modules, structured dataor unstructured data.

Computer-readable storage media can comprise, but are not limited to,random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electricallyerasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or othermemory technology, compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), digitalversatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devicesor other tangible and/or non-transitory media which can be used to storedesired information. In this regard, the terms “tangible” or“non-transitory” herein as applied to storage, memory orcomputer-readable media, are to be understood to exclude onlypropagating transitory signals per se as modifiers and do not relinquishrights to all standard storage, memory or computer-readable media thatare not only propagating transitory signals per se.

Computer-readable storage media can be accessed by one or more local orremote computing devices, e.g., via access requests, queries or otherdata retrieval protocols, for a variety of operations with respect tothe information stored by the medium.

Communications media typically embody computer-readable instructions,data structures, program modules or other structured or unstructureddata in a data signal such as a modulated data signal, e.g., a carrierwave or other transport mechanism, and comprises any informationdelivery or transport media. The term “modulated data signal” or signalsrefers to a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set orchanged in such a manner as to encode information in one or moresignals. By way of example, and not limitation, communication mediacomprise wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wiredconnection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and otherwireless media.

With reference again to FIG. 4 , the example environment can comprise acomputer 402, the computer 402 comprising a processing unit 404, asystem memory 406 and a system bus 408. The system bus 408 couplessystem components including, but not limited to, the system memory 406to the processing unit 404. The processing unit 404 can be any ofvarious commercially available processors. Dual microprocessors andother multiprocessor architectures can also be employed as theprocessing unit 404.

The system bus 408 can be any of several types of bus structure that canfurther interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memorycontroller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety ofcommercially available bus architectures. The system memory 406comprises ROM 410 and RAM 412. A basic input/output system (BIOS) can bestored in a non-volatile memory such as ROM, erasable programmable readonly memory (EPROM), EEPROM, which BIOS contains the basic routines thathelp to transfer information between elements within the computer 402,such as during startup. The RAM 412 can also comprise a high-speed RAMsuch as static RAM for caching data.

The computer 402 further comprises an internal hard disk drive (HDD) 414(e.g., EIDE, SATA), which internal HDD 414 can also be configured forexternal use in a suitable chassis (not shown), a magnetic floppy diskdrive (FDD) 416, (e.g., to read from or write to a removable diskette418) and an optical disk drive 420, (e.g., reading a CD-ROM disk 422 or,to read from or write to other high capacity optical media such as theDVD). The HDD 414, magnetic FDD 416 and optical disk drive 420 can beconnected to the system bus 408 by a hard disk drive interface 424, amagnetic disk drive interface 426 and an optical drive interface 428,respectively. The hard disk drive interface 424 for external driveimplementations comprises at least one or both of Universal Serial Bus(USB) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394interface technologies. Other external drive connection technologies arewithin contemplation of the embodiments described herein.

The drives and their associated computer-readable storage media providenonvolatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executableinstructions, and so forth. For the computer 402, the drives and storagemedia accommodate the storage of any data in a suitable digital format.Although the description of computer-readable storage media above refersto a hard disk drive (HDD), a removable magnetic diskette, and aremovable optical media such as a CD or DVD, it should be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that other types of storage media which arereadable by a computer, such as zip drives, magnetic cassettes, flashmemory cards, cartridges, and the like, can also be used in the exampleoperating environment, and further, that any such storage media cancontain computer-executable instructions for performing the methodsdescribed herein.

A number of program modules can be stored in the drives and RAM 412,comprising an operating system 430, one or more application programs432, other program modules 434 and program data 436. All or portions ofthe operating system, applications, modules, and/or data can also becached in the RAM 412. The systems and methods described herein can beimplemented utilizing various commercially available operating systemsor combinations of operating systems.

A user can enter commands and information into the computer 402 throughone or more wired/wireless input devices, e.g., a keyboard 438 and apointing device, such as a mouse 440. Other input devices (not shown)can comprise a microphone, an infrared (IR) remote control, a joystick,a game pad, a stylus pen, touch screen or the like. These and otherinput devices are often connected to the processing unit 404 through aninput device interface 442 that can be coupled to the system bus 408,but can be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, anIEEE 1394 serial port, a game port, a universal serial bus (USB) port,an IR interface, etc.

A monitor 444 or other type of display device can be also connected tothe system bus 408 via an interface, such as a video adapter 446. Itwill also be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, a monitor 444can also be any display device (e.g., another computer having a display,a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc.) for receiving displayinformation associated with computer 402 via any communication means,including via the Internet and cloud-based networks. In addition to themonitor 444, a computer typically comprises other peripheral outputdevices (not shown), such as speakers, printers, etc.

The computer 402 can operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections via wired and/or wireless communications to one or moreremote computers, such as a remote computer(s) 448. The remotecomputer(s) 448 can be a workstation, a server computer, a router, apersonal computer, portable computer, microprocessor-based entertainmentappliance, a peer device or other common network node, and typicallycomprises many or all of the elements described relative to the computer402, although, for purposes of brevity, only a remote memory/storagedevice 450 is illustrated. The logical connections depicted comprisewired/wireless connectivity to a local area network (LAN) 452 and/orlarger networks, e.g., a wide area network (WAN) 454. Such LAN and WANnetworking environments are commonplace in offices and companies, andfacilitate enterprise-wide computer networks, such as intranets, all ofwhich can connect to a global communications network, e.g., theInternet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 402 can beconnected to the LAN 452 through a wired and/or wireless communicationnetwork interface or adapter 456. The adapter 456 can facilitate wiredor wireless communication to the LAN 452, which can also comprise awireless AP disposed thereon for communicating with the adapter 456.

When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 402 can comprisea modem 458 or can be connected to a communications server on the WAN454 or has other means for establishing communications over the WAN 454,such as by way of the Internet. The modem 458, which can be internal orexternal and a wired or wireless device, can be connected to the systembus 408 via the input device interface 442. In a networked environment,program modules depicted relative to the computer 402 or portionsthereof, can be stored in the remote memory/storage device 450. It willbe appreciated that the network connections shown are example and othermeans of establishing a communications link between the computers can beused.

The computer 402 can be operable to communicate with any wirelessdevices or entities operatively disposed in wireless communication,e.g., a printer, scanner, desktop and/or portable computer, portabledata assistant, communications satellite, any piece of equipment orlocation associated with a wirelessly detectable tag (e.g., a kiosk,news stand, restroom), and telephone. This can comprise WirelessFidelity (Wi-Fi) and BLUETOOTH® wireless technologies. Thus, thecommunication can be a predefined structure as with a conventionalnetwork or simply an ad hoc communication between at least two devices.

Wi-Fi can allow connection to the Internet from a couch at home, a bedin a hotel room or a conference room at work, without wires. Wi-Fi is awireless technology similar to that used in a cell phone that enablessuch devices, e.g., computers, to send and receive data indoors and out;anywhere within the range of a base station. Wi-Fi networks use radiotechnologies called IEEE 802.11 (a, b, g, n, ac, ag, etc.) to providesecure, reliable, fast wireless connectivity. A Wi-Fi network can beused to connect computers to each other, to the Internet, and to wirednetworks (which can use IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet). Wi-Fi networks operatein the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands for example or with productsthat contain both bands (dual band), so the networks can providereal-world performance similar to the basic 10BaseT wired Ethernetnetworks used in many offices.

Turning now to FIG. 5 , an embodiment 500 of a mobile network platform510 is shown that is an example of network elements 150, 152, 154, 156,and/or VNEs 330, 332, 334, etc. For example, platform 510 can facilitatein whole or in part detecting a transmission of a signal that identifiesan advertisement; transmitting a first indication of having detected thesignal; and transmitting a second indication that indicates a status ofthe device coinciding with when the signal is detected by the device.Platform 510 can facilitate in whole or in part transmitting a signalthat identifies an advertisement; receiving a first indication that thesignal is detected by a user device; and receiving a second indicationof a status of the user device coinciding with when the user devicedetects the signal. In one or more embodiments, the mobile networkplatform 510 can generate and receive signals transmitted and receivedby base stations or access points such as base station or access point122. Generally, mobile network platform 510 can comprise components,e.g., nodes, gateways, interfaces, servers, or disparate platforms, thatfacilitate both packet-switched (PS) (e.g., internet protocol (IP),frame relay, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)) and circuit-switched (CS)traffic (e.g., voice and data), as well as control generation fornetworked wireless telecommunication. As a non-limiting example, mobilenetwork platform 510 can be included in telecommunications carriernetworks, and can be considered carrier-side components as discussedelsewhere herein. Mobile network platform 510 comprises CS gatewaynode(s) 512 which can interface CS traffic received from legacy networkslike telephony network(s) 540 (e.g., public switched telephone network(PSTN), or public land mobile network (PLMN)) or a signaling system #7(SS7) network 560. CS gateway node(s) 512 can authorize and authenticatetraffic (e.g., voice) arising from such networks. Additionally, CSgateway node(s) 512 can access mobility, or roaming, data generatedthrough SS7 network 560; for instance, mobility data stored in a visitedlocation register (VLR), which can reside in memory 530. Moreover, CSgateway node(s) 512 interfaces CS-based traffic and signaling and PSgateway node(s) 518. As an example, in a 3GPP UMTS network, CS gatewaynode(s) 512 can be realized at least in part in gateway GPRS supportnode(s) (GGSN). It should be appreciated that functionality and specificoperation of CS gateway node(s) 512, PS gateway node(s) 518, and servingnode(s) 516, is provided and dictated by radio technology(ies) utilizedby mobile network platform 510 for telecommunication over a radio accessnetwork 520 with other devices, such as a radiotelephone 575.

In addition to receiving and processing CS-switched traffic andsignaling, PS gateway node(s) 518 can authorize and authenticatePS-based data sessions with served mobile devices. Data sessions cancomprise traffic, or content(s), exchanged with networks external to themobile network platform 510, like wide area network(s) (WANs) 550,enterprise network(s) 570, and service network(s) 580, which can beembodied in local area network(s) (LANs), can also be interfaced withmobile network platform 510 through PS gateway node(s) 518. It is to benoted that WANs 550 and enterprise network(s) 570 can embody, at leastin part, a service network(s) like IP multimedia subsystem (IMS). Basedon radio technology layer(s) available in technology resource(s) orradio access network 520, PS gateway node(s) 518 can generate packetdata protocol contexts when a data session is established; other datastructures that facilitate routing of packetized data also can begenerated. To that end, in an aspect, PS gateway node(s) 518 cancomprise a tunnel interface (e.g., tunnel termination gateway (TTG) in3GPP UMTS network(s) (not shown)) which can facilitate packetizedcommunication with disparate wireless network(s), such as Wi-Finetworks.

In embodiment 500, mobile network platform 510 also comprises servingnode(s) 516 that, based upon available radio technology layer(s) withintechnology resource(s) in the radio access network 520, convey thevarious packetized flows of data streams received through PS gatewaynode(s) 518. It is to be noted that for technology resource(s) that relyprimarily on CS communication, server node(s) can deliver trafficwithout reliance on PS gateway node(s) 518; for example, server node(s)can embody at least in part a mobile switching center. As an example, ina 3GPP UMTS network, serving node(s) 516 can be embodied in serving GPRSsupport node(s) (SGSN).

For radio technologies that exploit packetized communication, server(s)514 in mobile network platform 510 can execute numerous applicationsthat can generate multiple disparate packetized data streams or flows,and manage (e.g., schedule, queue, format . . . ) such flows. Suchapplication(s) can comprise add-on features to standard services (forexample, provisioning, billing, customer support . . . ) provided bymobile network platform 510. Data streams (e.g., content(s) that arepart of a voice call or data session) can be conveyed to PS gatewaynode(s) 518 for authorization/authentication and initiation of a datasession, and to serving node(s) 516 for communication thereafter. Inaddition to application server, server(s) 514 can comprise utilityserver(s), a utility server can comprise a provisioning server, anoperations and maintenance server, a security server that can implementat least in part a certificate authority and firewalls as well as othersecurity mechanisms, and the like. In an aspect, security server(s)secure communication served through mobile network platform 510 toensure network's operation and data integrity in addition toauthorization and authentication procedures that CS gateway node(s) 512and PS gateway node(s) 518 can enact. Moreover, provisioning server(s)can provision services from external network(s) like networks operatedby a disparate service provider; for instance, WAN 550 or GlobalPositioning System (GPS) network(s) (not shown). Provisioning server(s)can also provision coverage through networks associated to mobilenetwork platform 510 (e.g., deployed and operated by the same serviceprovider), such as the distributed antennas networks shown in FIG. 1(s)that enhance wireless service coverage by providing more networkcoverage.

It is to be noted that server(s) 514 can comprise one or more processorsconfigured to confer at least in part the functionality of mobilenetwork platform 510. To that end, the one or more processor can executecode instructions stored in memory 530, for example. It is should beappreciated that server(s) 514 can comprise a content manager, whichoperates in substantially the same manner as described hereinbefore.

In example embodiment 500, memory 530 can store information related tooperation of mobile network platform 510. Other operational informationcan comprise provisioning information of mobile devices served throughmobile network platform 510, subscriber databases; applicationintelligence, pricing schemes, e.g., promotional rates, flat-rateprograms, couponing campaigns; technical specification(s) consistentwith telecommunication protocols for operation of disparate radio, orwireless, technology layers; and so forth. Memory 530 can also storeinformation from at least one of telephony network(s) 540, WAN 550, SS7network 560, or enterprise network(s) 570. In an aspect, memory 530 canbe, for example, accessed as part of a data store component or as aremotely connected memory store.

In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the disclosedsubject matter, FIG. 5 , and the following discussion, are intended toprovide a brief, general description of a suitable environment in whichthe various aspects of the disclosed subject matter can be implemented.While the subject matter has been described above in the general contextof computer-executable instructions of a computer program that runs on acomputer and/or computers, those skilled in the art will recognize thatthe disclosed subject matter also can be implemented in combination withother program modules. Generally, program modules comprise routines,programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform particulartasks and/or implement particular abstract data types.

Turning now to FIG. 6 , an illustrative embodiment of a communicationdevice 600 is shown. The communication device 600 can serve as anillustrative embodiment of devices such as data terminals 114, mobiledevices 124, vehicle 126, display devices 144 or other client devicesfor communication via either communications network 125. For example,computing device 600 can facilitate in whole or in part detecting atransmission of a signal that identifies an advertisement; transmittinga first indication of having detected the signal; and transmitting asecond indication that indicates a status of the device coinciding withwhen the signal is detected by the device. Computing device 600 canfacilitate in whole or in part transmitting a signal that identifies anadvertisement; receiving a first indication that the signal is detectedby a user device; and receiving a second indication of a status of theuser device coinciding with when the user device detects the signal.

The communication device 600 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 602 (herein transceiver 602), a user interface (UI) 604, apower supply 614, a location receiver 616, a motion sensor 618, anorientation sensor 620, and a controller 606 for managing operationsthereof. The transceiver 602 can support short-range or long-rangewireless access technologies such as Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, WiFi, DECT, orcellular communication technologies, just to mention a few (Bluetooth®and ZigBee® are trademarks registered by the Bluetooth® Special InterestGroup and the ZigBee® Alliance, respectively). Cellular technologies caninclude, for example, CDMA-1×, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO,WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next generation wireless communicationtechnologies as they arise. The transceiver 602 can also be adapted tosupport circuit-switched wireline access technologies (such as PSTN),packet-switched wireline access technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP,etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 604 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 608 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, a mouse, or anavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device600. The keypad 608 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 600 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth®. The keypad 608 canrepresent a numeric keypad commonly used by phones, and/or a QWERTYkeypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 604 can further include a display610 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED(Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technology forconveying images to an end user of the communication device 600. In anembodiment where the display 610 is touch-sensitive, a portion or all ofthe keypad 608 can be presented by way of the display 610 withnavigation features.

The display 610 can use touch screen technology to also serve as a userinterface for detecting user input. As a touch screen display, thecommunication device 600 can be adapted to present a user interfacehaving graphical user interface (GUI) elements that can be selected by auser with a touch of a finger. The display 610 can be equipped withcapacitive, resistive or other forms of sensing technology to detect howmuch surface area of a user's finger has been placed on a portion of thetouch screen display. This sensing information can be used to controlthe manipulation of the GUI elements or other functions of the userinterface. The display 610 can be an integral part of the housingassembly of the communication device 600 or an independent devicecommunicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface (suchas a cable) or a wireless interface.

The UI 604 can also include an audio system 612 that utilizes audiotechnology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heard inproximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such as speakerphonefor hands free operation). The audio system 612 can further include amicrophone for receiving audible signals of an end user. The audiosystem 612 can also be used for voice recognition applications. The UI604 can further include an image sensor 613 such as a charged coupleddevice (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 614 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and/or charging system technologies for supplying energyto the components of the communication device 600 to facilitatelong-range or short-range portable communications. Alternatively, or incombination, the charging system can utilize external power sources suchas DC power supplied over a physical interface such as a USB port orother suitable tethering technologies.

The location receiver 616 can utilize location technology such as aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of assisted GPS foridentifying a location of the communication device 600 based on signalsgenerated by a constellation of GPS satellites, which can be used forfacilitating location services such as navigation. The motion sensor 618can utilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, agyroscope, or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect motionof the communication device 600 in three-dimensional space. Theorientation sensor 620 can utilize orientation sensing technology suchas a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device600 (north, south, west, and east, as well as combined orientations indegrees, minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 600 can use the transceiver 602 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth®, or other wirelessaccess points by sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal time of arrival (TOA) or time offlight (TOF) measurements. The controller 606 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits,and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executingcomputer instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by theaforementioned components of the communication device 600.

Other components not shown in FIG. 6 can be used in one or moreembodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the communicationdevice 600 can include a slot for adding or removing an identity modulesuch as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card or Universal IntegratedCircuit Card (UICC). SIM or UICC cards can be used for identifyingsubscriber services, executing programs, storing subscriber data, and soon.

The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and so forth, as used in theclaims, unless otherwise clear by context, is for clarity only anddoesn't otherwise indicate or imply any order in time. For instance, “afirst determination,” “a second determination,” and “a thirddetermination,” does not indicate or imply that the first determinationis to be made before the second determination, or vice versa, etc.

In the subject specification, terms such as “store,” “storage,” “datastore,” data storage,” “database,” and substantially any otherinformation storage component relevant to operation and functionality ofa component, refer to “memory components,” or entities embodied in a“memory” or components comprising the memory. It will be appreciatedthat the memory components described herein can be either volatilememory or nonvolatile memory, or can comprise both volatile andnonvolatile memory, by way of illustration, and not limitation, volatilememory, non-volatile memory, disk storage, and memory storage. Further,nonvolatile memory can be included in read only memory (ROM),programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM),electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory cancomprise random access memory (RAM), which acts as external cachememory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available inmany forms such as synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM),synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhancedSDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM).Additionally, the disclosed memory components of systems or methodsherein are intended to comprise, without being limited to comprising,these and any other suitable types of memory.

Moreover, it will be noted that the disclosed subject matter can bepracticed with other computer system configurations, comprisingsingle-processor or multiprocessor computer systems, mini-computingdevices, mainframe computers, as well as personal computers, hand-heldcomputing devices (e.g., PDA, phone, smartphone, watch, tabletcomputers, netbook computers, etc.), microprocessor-based orprogrammable consumer or industrial electronics, and the like. Theillustrated aspects can also be practiced in distributed computingenvironments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices thatare linked through a communications network; however, some if not allaspects of the subject disclosure can be practiced on stand-alonecomputers. In a distributed computing environment, program modules canbe located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

In one or more embodiments, information regarding use of services can begenerated including services being accessed, media consumption history,user preferences, and so forth. This information can be obtained byvarious methods including user input, detecting types of communications(e.g., video content vs. audio content), analysis of content streams,sampling, and so forth. The generating, obtaining and/or monitoring ofthis information can be responsive to an authorization provided by theuser. In one or more embodiments, an analysis of data can be subject toauthorization from user(s) associated with the data, such as an opt-in,an opt-out, acknowledgement requirements, notifications, selectiveauthorization based on types of data, and so forth.

Some of the embodiments described herein can also employ artificialintelligence (AI) to facilitate automating one or more featuresdescribed herein. The embodiments (e.g., in connection withautomatically identifying acquired cell sites that provide a maximumvalue/benefit after addition to an existing communication network) canemploy various AI-based schemes for carrying out various embodimentsthereof. Moreover, the classifier can be employed to determine a rankingor priority of each cell site of the acquired network. A classifier is afunction that maps an input attribute vector, x=(x1, x2, x3, x4, . . . ,xn), to a confidence that the input belongs to a class, that is,f(x)=confidence (class). Such classification can employ a probabilisticand/or statistical-based analysis (e.g., factoring into the analysisutilities and costs) to determine or infer an action that a user desiresto be automatically performed. A support vector machine (SVM) is anexample of a classifier that can be employed. The SVM operates byfinding a hypersurface in the space of possible inputs, which thehypersurface attempts to split the triggering criteria from thenon-triggering events. Intuitively, this makes the classificationcorrect for testing data that is near, but not identical to trainingdata. Other directed and undirected model classification approachescomprise, e.g., naïve Bayes, Bayesian networks, decision trees, neuralnetworks, fuzzy logic models, and probabilistic classification modelsproviding different patterns of independence can be employed.Classification as used herein also is inclusive of statisticalregression that is utilized to develop models of priority.

As will be readily appreciated, one or more of the embodiments canemploy classifiers that are explicitly trained (e.g., via a generictraining data) as well as implicitly trained (e.g., via observing UEbehavior, operator preferences, historical information, receivingextrinsic information). For example, SVMs can be configured via alearning or training phase within a classifier constructor and featureselection module. Thus, the classifier(s) can be used to automaticallylearn and perform a number of functions, including but not limited todetermining according to predetermined criteria which of the acquiredcell sites will benefit a maximum number of subscribers and/or which ofthe acquired cell sites will add minimum value to the existingcommunication network coverage, etc.

As used in some contexts in this application, in some embodiments, theterms “component,” “system” and the like are intended to refer to, orcomprise, a computer-related entity or an entity related to anoperational apparatus with one or more specific functionalities, whereinthe entity can be either hardware, a combination of hardware andsoftware, software, or software in execution. As an example, a componentmay be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, aprocessor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution,computer-executable instructions, a program, and/or a computer. By wayof illustration and not limitation, both an application running on aserver and the server can be a component. One or more components mayreside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component maybe localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or morecomputers. In addition, these components can execute from variouscomputer readable media having various data structures stored thereon.The components may communicate via local and/or remote processes such asin accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., datafrom one component interacting with another component in a local system,distributed system, and/or across a network such as the Internet withother systems via the signal). As another example, a component can be anapparatus with specific functionality provided by mechanical partsoperated by electric or electronic circuitry, which is operated by asoftware or firmware application executed by a processor, wherein theprocessor can be internal or external to the apparatus and executes atleast a part of the software or firmware application. As yet anotherexample, a component can be an apparatus that provides specificfunctionality through electronic components without mechanical parts,the electronic components can comprise a processor therein to executesoftware or firmware that confers at least in part the functionality ofthe electronic components. While various components have beenillustrated as separate components, it will be appreciated that multiplecomponents can be implemented as a single component, or a singlecomponent can be implemented as multiple components, without departingfrom example embodiments.

Further, the various embodiments can be implemented as a method,apparatus or article of manufacture using standard programming and/orengineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware or anycombination thereof to control a computer to implement the disclosedsubject matter. The term “article of manufacture” as used herein isintended to encompass a computer program accessible from anycomputer-readable device or computer-readable storage/communicationsmedia. For example, computer readable storage media can include, but arenot limited to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk,magnetic strips), optical disks (e.g., compact disk (CD), digitalversatile disk (DVD)), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g.,card, stick, key drive). Of course, those skilled in the art willrecognize many modifications can be made to this configuration withoutdeparting from the scope or spirit of the various embodiments.

In addition, the words “example” and “exemplary” are used herein to meanserving as an instance or illustration. Any embodiment or designdescribed herein as “example” or “exemplary” is not necessarily to beconstrued as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments ordesigns. Rather, use of the word example or exemplary is intended topresent concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, theterm “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive“or”. That is, unless specified otherwise or clear from context, “Xemploys A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusivepermutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both Aand B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoinginstances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in thisapplication and the appended claims should generally be construed tomean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context tobe directed to a singular form.

Moreover, terms such as “user equipment,” “mobile station,” “mobile,”subscriber station,” “access terminal,” “terminal,” “handset,” “mobiledevice” (and/or terms representing similar terminology) can refer to awireless device utilized by a subscriber or user of a wirelesscommunication service to receive or convey data, control, voice, video,sound, gaming or substantially any data-stream or signaling-stream. Theforegoing terms are utilized interchangeably herein and with referenceto the related drawings.

Furthermore, the terms “user,” “subscriber,” “customer,” “consumer” andthe like are employed interchangeably throughout, unless contextwarrants particular distinctions among the terms. It should beappreciated that such terms can refer to human entities or automatedcomponents supported through artificial intelligence (e.g., a capacityto make inference based, at least, on complex mathematical formalisms),which can provide simulated vision, sound recognition and so forth.

As employed herein, the term “processor” can refer to substantially anycomputing processing unit or device comprising, but not limited tocomprising, single-core processors; single-processors with softwaremultithread execution capability; multi-core processors; multi-coreprocessors with software multithread execution capability; multi-coreprocessors with hardware multithread technology; parallel platforms; andparallel platforms with distributed shared memory. Additionally, aprocessor can refer to an integrated circuit, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic controller (PLC), acomplex programmable logic device (CPLD), a discrete gate or transistorlogic, discrete hardware components or any combination thereof designedto perform the functions described herein. Processors can exploitnano-scale architectures such as, but not limited to, molecular andquantum-dot based transistors, switches and gates, in order to optimizespace usage or enhance performance of user equipment. A processor canalso be implemented as a combination of computing processing units.

As used herein, terms such as “data storage,” data storage,” “database,”and substantially any other information storage component relevant tooperation and functionality of a component, refer to “memorycomponents,” or entities embodied in a “memory” or components comprisingthe memory. It will be appreciated that the memory components orcomputer-readable storage media, described herein can be either volatilememory or nonvolatile memory or can include both volatile andnonvolatile memory.

What has been described above includes mere examples of variousembodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe everyconceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes ofdescribing these examples, but one of ordinary skill in the art canrecognize that many further combinations and permutations of the presentembodiments are possible. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed and/orclaimed herein are intended to embrace all such alterations,modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes”is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term isintended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as“comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in aclaim.

In addition, a flow diagram may include a “start” and/or “continue”indication. The “start” and “continue” indications reflect that thesteps presented can optionally be incorporated in or otherwise used inconjunction with other routines. In this context, “start” indicates thebeginning of the first step presented and may be preceded by otheractivities not specifically shown. Further, the “continue” indicationreflects that the steps presented may be performed multiple times and/ormay be succeeded by other activities not specifically shown. Further,while a flow diagram indicates a particular ordering of steps, otherorderings are likewise possible provided that the principles ofcausality are maintained.

As may also be used herein, the term(s) “operably coupled to”, “coupledto”, and/or “coupling” includes direct coupling between items and/orindirect coupling between items via one or more intervening items. Suchitems and intervening items include, but are not limited to, junctions,communication paths, components, circuit elements, circuits, functionalblocks, and/or devices. As an example of indirect coupling, a signalconveyed from a first item to a second item may be modified by one ormore intervening items by modifying the form, nature or format ofinformation in a signal, while one or more elements of the informationin the signal are nevertheless conveyed in a manner than can berecognized by the second item. In a further example of indirectcoupling, an action in a first item can cause a reaction on the seconditem, as a result of actions and/or reactions in one or more interveningitems.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement which achieves thesame or similar purpose may be substituted for the embodiments describedor shown by the subject disclosure. The subject disclosure is intendedto cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, can be used in the subject disclosure.For instance, one or more features from one or more embodiments can becombined with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. Inone or more embodiments, features that are positively recited can alsobe negatively recited and excluded from the embodiment with or withoutreplacement by another structural and/or functional feature. The stepsor functions described with respect to the embodiments of the subjectdisclosure can be performed in any order. The steps or functionsdescribed with respect to the embodiments of the subject disclosure canbe performed alone or in combination with other steps or functions ofthe subject disclosure, as well as from other embodiments or from othersteps that have not been described in the subject disclosure. Further,more than or less than all of the features described with respect to anembodiment can also be utilized.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device, comprising: a processing systemincluding a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance ofoperations, the operations comprising: transmitting a signal during anadvertising timeslot of a media presentation, wherein the signalidentifies an advertisement presented during the advertising timeslot;receiving a first indication that the signal is detected by a userdevice; and receiving a second indication of a status of the userdevice, wherein the status coincides with when the user device detectsthe signal, and wherein the second indication of the status comprises:an indication that the user device is worn, an indication of whether theuser device is unlocked, an indication of whether the user device hasbeen locked for less than a threshold amount of time, an indication ofwhether the user device has been locked for greater than the thresholdamount of time, an indication of whether the user device is placed in agiven mode, and an indication of whether the user device is moved adistance that is greater than a threshold distance.
 2. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: selecting a powerparameter for the signal such that the user device detects the signaland a second user device does not detect the signal, wherein the userdevice is located a first distance from the device and the second userdevice is located a second distance from the device that is greater thanthe first distance.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the signalcomprises an audio code, and wherein the audio code has a frequency thatis less than 20 Hz or greater than 20 KHz.
 4. The device of claim 1,wherein the signal comprises a pattern of light.
 5. The device of claim1, wherein the first indication comprises an identification of the userdevice and an identification of the advertisement.
 6. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: obtainingauthorization from the user device, wherein the transmitting of thesignal is responsive to the obtaining of the authorization.
 7. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: identifyingthe advertising timeslot based on a tag that is applied to media of themedia presentation, wherein the transmitting of the signal during theadvertising timeslot is responsive to the identifying of the advertisingtimeslot.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations furthercomprise: obtaining the advertisement by selecting the advertisementfrom a plurality of advertisements in accordance with a genre of aprogram included in the media presentation, a user demographic, a userprofile, a log of media consumed by a user of the user device,information regarding products or services purchased or browsed by theuser, or a combination thereof.
 9. A non-transitory machine-readablemedium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by aprocessing system including a processor, facilitate performance ofoperations, the operations comprising: transmitting a signal during anadvertising timeslot that identifies an advertisement presented duringthe advertising timeslot; obtaining a first indication that the signalis detected by a user device; and obtaining a second indication of astatus of the user device, wherein the status coincides with when theuser device detects the signal, and wherein the second indication of thestatus comprises: an indication that the user device is worn, anindication of whether the user device is unlocked, an indication ofwhether the user device has been locked for less than a threshold amountof time, an indication of whether the user device has been locked forgreater than the threshold amount of time, an indication of whether theuser device is placed in a given mode, and an indication of whether theuser device is moved a distance that is greater than a thresholddistance.
 10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9,wherein the operations further comprise: receiving the first indicationand the second indication in a message from the user device.
 11. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the signalcomprises a pattern of light.
 12. A method comprising: detecting, by aprocessing system including a processor, a transmission of a signalduring an advertising timeslot that identifies an advertisementpresented during the advertising timeslot; transmitting, by theprocessing system, a first indication of having detected the signal; andtransmitting, by the processing system, a second indication of a statusof the processing system, wherein the status coincides with when thesignal is detected, and wherein the second indication of the statuscomprises: an indication that the processing system is worn, anindication of whether the processing system is unlocked, an indicationof whether the processing system has been locked for less than athreshold amount of time, an indication of whether the processing systemhas been locked for greater than the threshold amount of time, anindication of whether the processing system is placed in a given mode,and an indication of whether the processing system is moved a distancethat is greater than a threshold distance.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the signal is received by a microphone coupled to the processingsystem, a camera coupled to the processing system, or a combinationthereof.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal is transmittedby a set-top box.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the processingsystem is included in a user device.
 16. The method of claim 15, whereinthe first indication comprises an identification of the user device andan identification of the advertisement.
 17. The method of claim 12,wherein the processing system is included in a headset, and wherein themethod further comprises: receiving, by the processing system, a secondadvertisement; presenting, by the processing system, the advertisementin accordance with a first orientation of the headset and the secondadvertisement in accordance with a second orientation of the headset,wherein the presenting of the advertisement and the second advertisementoccurs simultaneously; and determining, by the processing system, thatan orientation of the headset conforms to the first orientation or thesecond orientation during the presenting of the advertisement and thesecond advertisement, wherein the second indication of the statuscomprises the orientation of the headset, and wherein the advertisementincludes a virtual object.
 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the firstindication comprises: a first identification of the processing system, asecond identification of a user of the processing system, or acombination thereof.
 19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:detecting, by the processing system, a transmission of a second signalduring the advertising timeslot that identifies the advertisementpresented during the advertising timeslot; transmitting, by theprocessing system, a third indication of having detected the secondsignal; and transmitting, by the processing system, a fourth indicationof a second status of the processing system, wherein the second statuscoincides with when the second signal is detected.
 20. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the processing system is included in a watch.